Southern Province Minister Edify Hamukale has called on all Zambians to behave responsibly and not to demean or propagate information that touches on the persona of President Edgar Lungu.

Dr. Hamukale said cyberbullying of the Head of State was tantamount to harassing the whole Zambian Republic as President Lungu was the Chief Executive for the country.

The Provincial Minister stressed that spreading false information about the Head of State was punishable by law, and urged all well-meaning Zambians to desist from the detrimental vice.

“As Minister of this land I will not allow anyone propagating false information about the President; Ministers, chiefs and other innocent individuals targeted for unjustified reasons. We would like to see a protected citizenry where all people live in peace and happily,” he said.

Dr Hamukale said this in Livingstone yesterday, at the finale of the Awareness Walk against Cyberbullying and Fake news, led by Zambia Air Force (ZAF), Captain Thokozile Muwamba.

He further condemned online gender-based violence targeted against female ministers.

Dr Hamukale said it was unacceptable to use unpalatable language against the ministers online, adding that they needed to be given time and space to serve the public diligently.

And Zambia Information and Communications Authority (ZICTA), Director-General Patrick Mutimushi noted that the number of complaints received of people who had been cyber bullied had continued to rise, particularly in the case of women and girls.

Mr. Mutimushi was however, happy that ZICTA in collaboration with Cyber Hygiene Zambia were at the heart of the movement aimed at changing the mind sets of those yet to appreciate that access to digital platforms comes with responsibility.

He was confident that the output of the nationwide publicity to discourage cyber bullying and elaborate its consequences would result in attracting a caliber of young people who would be online ambassadors to help promote responsible use of the internet.

“The expected output of this nationwide publicity discouraging cyberbullying will help enhance the ZICTA ‘Be your sisters’ and brother’s online keeper’ initiative aimed at creating youthful online ambassadors who will promote productive use of the internet,” he said.

And speaking in an interview upon arrival in Livingstone, Captain Thokozile Muwamba said the walk had not been easy but she managed with the support of her team members and Cyber Hygience Zambia.

Captain Muwamba was confident the message on cyber bullying was reaching the masses and starting up conversations on the vice among various stakeholders in the country.

She noted that her walk from Lusaka had raised both positive and negative comments, adding that this was a good starting point for positive behavioural change.

“We have reached a lot of people during our walk and that is a good thing. Now we have to get people to use the internet responsibly and not demean each other online,” she said.

And Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) Director General Josephine Mapoma said online broadcasters should behave according to the ethics of broadcasting.

Ms Mapoma urged online broadcasting institutions to register with IBA upon attaining a certain threshold of viewers, for their content to be regulated.

“In regulating content, we are not saying we are regulating you on what to do, you will have your own editorial policy,” she said.

Captain Muwamba is the first Zambian female fighter pilot and she started her walk from Lusaka on February, 20 this year to raise awareness on cyber bullying and fake news.

Northern Province Permanent Secretary Royd Chakaba has warned government workers in the region to desist from engaging in active politics ahead of the August 12 general elections.

Speaking when he addressed civil servants in Mpulungu District, Mr. Chakaba said his office will not hesitate to take action against any erring officer.

He challenged those with political ambitions to resign from the civil service and join politics.

“I have come at a critical time, we are in any election year. I wouldn’t wish a civil servant being cited for partisan politics because once we receive a report, we will deal with that person” warned Mr. Chakaba

Mr. Chakaba said it would be unfortunate for public service workers to be cited for taking part in partisan politics hence the need for them to refrain.

He noted that civil servants have an obligation to support and implement policies of the government of the day.

And Mpulungu District Commissioner Dennis Sikazwe said the district administration will remain focused on ensuring that government programmes are implemented by the responsible departments accordingly.

Mr. Sikazwe added that his office will continue to engage with the Provincial Administration for guidance on various issues.

“With your vision and guidance sir, we believe that Mpulungu and the rest of the province will continue to develop. We are ready to execute government functions and programmes as expected,” Said Mr Sikazwe.

The Young Africa Leadership Initiative (YALI) says there is no way the Patriotic Front (PF) government can abuse the cyber security bill when enacted into law to rig the August 12, 2021 general elections because there is no link between cyber security and how election are conducted.

Responding to social media claims that the PF government is in a hurry to enact the bill into law to prolong its stay in power, YALI president Andrew Ntewewe said critics have no basis for their claims.

Mr. Ntewewe said there is urgent need to regulate the use of cyber space which has led to cyberbullying, social anxiety, depression, and exposure to content that is not age appropriate.

He stated in an interview with ZANIS that as the country prepares for the general elections, people should not be allowed to abuse social media to an extent that they cause alarm in the country.

“Causing alarm may lead to panic and anxiety and people may react in different ways and the results may be disastrous. That is why we must be able to regulate the use of cyberspace,” he said.

Mr. Ntewewe observed that Zambia has a clean record of having free, fair and credible elections and the abuse of social media can lead to social strife.

“We are in a democracy, certain people will always criticize the government. They will criticize even progressive ideas, some don’t even know why they are opposed to the bill,” he said.

He further said people must be able to understand that the government wants to improve democracy.

“We believe that once enacted into law, this bill will enhance good governance because we have a lot of people who have been bullied, harassed, and intimidated on social media to such an extent that the democratic space is shrinking,” he said.

Mr. Ntewewe stated that those with opposing views on certain ideas are being harassed and are afraid to share their views.

“But today, we have a clique that has taken over social media that will criticize anyone with divergent views. That is unacceptable,” he said.

He further stressed the need to regulate social media to protect women, girls, and others who are intimidated and bullied on cyberspace.

Cabinet recently approved the introduction and publication of a bill to introduce the law on cybersecurity and cybercrimes.

According to Chief Government Spokesperson Dora Siliya, the introduction of the cybersecurity law is meant to promote the responsible use of social media platforms as well as ensure the provision of cybersecurity in the country.

A mob in Zambezi district has beaten up health personnel and destroyed public property whose value is yet to be ascertained.

The mob beat up the health personnel in protest against the disposal of a body of a person suspected to have died from Covid-19.

North-western Province Commissioner of Police Joel Njase confirmed the incident that happened yesterday and said stones and unknown objects are suspected to have been used to beat up the health personnel.

Mr. Njase said confusion ensued as health personnel were burying the body of a named deputy head teacher at Zambezi primary school who is suspected to have died from Covid-19.

He said police intervened and the body was successfully buried amid high tempers.

“Zambezi police station on 01/03/21 received a report of riotous behaviour made by Mulweyi Mukumbi aged 45 of Ndeke compound, Zambezi also a hospital administrator at Zambezi district hospital that in the process of disposing a suspected Covid-19 body of the late deputy head teacher at Zambezi primary school, a mob begun to beat health personnel with stones and unknown objects,” Mr. Njase explained.

He said the mob proceeded to Zambezi primary school and shattered window panes of a classroom block, nine glass panes at the Zambezi district hospital mortuary and the front windscreen of the Toyota GX motor vehicle registration number ABK 4327 whose value is yet to be ascertained.

Mr. Njase said dockets of malicious damage to government property have been opened adding that patrols have since been intensified in the area.

He has since warned that police will not hesitate to act in accordance with their mandate.

The North-western Police Commissioner further advised the residents to refrain from destroying government property meant to service them whenever they are aggrieved.

At least 21 pupils at Mushindamo Girls’ STEM school have been admitted to Solwezi general hospital after being pepper-sprayed by a drunken teacher.

Mushindamo District Health Director Edgar Mutimushi has confirmed that the pupils are all in stable condition and receiving treatment from Solwezi general hospital.

“We got a report that the girls were gassed by a drunken teacher during their entertainment session. So we quickly rushed to the area and treated them, we left the ones that were stable and referred about 21 to Solwezi general,” he said.

Meanwhile, police in Mushindamo have confirmed receiving the report and are conducting further investigations to establish facts.

Solwezi District Officer-In-Charge, Kennedy Muselu said police officers are currently conducting investigations in a matter that was reported to police that some pupils at Mushindamo were gassed by a teacher.

“Yes we are in receipt of a report from Mushindamo girls that pupils were gassed by a named teacher during entertainment. However, we are still conducting investigations and a conclusive report will be given before close of business today,” Mr. Muselu said.

He has since urged the public to remain calm and avoid spreading rumours that gassing has resurfaced in Mushindamo.

Lusaka Province Permanent Secretary (PS) Elias Kamanga has said government operations would have crumbled if the Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) were not employed in this era of Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr. Kamanga said the use of ICTs was timely adding that it has helped in the execution of operations meant to serve the members of the public.

“Imagine if we did not have ICTs in place, imagine if we did not have e-government systems, government operations would have crumbled,” he said.

He told ZANIS that the use of ICTs has helped to overcome the difficulties of communication in government institutions in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic which has affected the entire world.

The Permanent Secretary has since called for the roll out of the ICTs to all the government departments in the country saying it is vital for conducting meetings without gathering people in one place.

He said the use of Zoom to conduct virtual meetings is convenient and cost effective to the government.

Mr. Kamanga noted that government has saved funds through the use of Zoom as officers do not have to travel to attend meetings but can to it virtually and contribute from any location.

He said virtual platforms such as Zoom have played a key role in ensuring that government operations in health, education and agriculture sectors are not affected even with the advent of Covid-19.

Mr. Kamanga has since appealed to the Ministry of Finance to provide adequate resources for the development of ICTs in all government institutions.

“ICT infrastructure requires a lot of investments to ensure that officers are able to apply the use of ICTs in their operations,” he said.

He said his desire was that the ICT services should be rolled to all the seven districts of Lusaka province for effective communication to be achieved without necessarily traveling out to such areas.

“I think that all the government institutions should adapt to this new technology, it is a new normal that we all have to live with,” he said.

Mr. Kamanga however urged people to avoid abusing ICT platforms saying they should only apply it for the purposes of improving both personal and national welfare.

And a Public Health Specialist at the Lusaka Province Health Office Bushimbwa Tambatamba said all the health facilities in the province have access to internet services.

Dr. Tambatamba said the province is avoiding paper based operations adding that the introduction of the smart care systems has strengthened the electronic based care services to patients whose records can be accessed at any health facility once they produce their smart cards.

She said the province is also using mobile phones to monitor Covid-19 patients who are not admitted to health facilities.

The public health specialist further revealed that the province is using the echo-system to manage patients who are in remote places.

She said through the use of ICTs, authorities can manage to train health officers in places such as Chirundu on how to manage the patients in their care.

“The trainers can be able to see the patient and advise the specific interventions that can be done to help the patient through ICT platforms.” said Dr Tambatamba.

Dr. Tambatamba said 50 percent of the interactions at the provincial health office are done through the use of ICTs.

Meanwhile, Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Corporate Communication Manager Topsy Sikalinda said 90 percent of the payments are now being done electronically through banks, WhatsApp and phones.

“We are discouraging physical interactions with clients unless something important. The authority has also increased the working hours for the call centre to minimize physical interactions in this era of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.